Modaks Or Kozhakattais for Ganesha Chaturthi

Today we performed puja to lord Ganesha, the celestial remover of obstacles.

Morning found me busy preparing the modaks or kozhakattais. When I was making the jaggery filling for the outer cover of the processed rice dough, I was reminded of the Chinese momos. The fillings are different, though always vegetarian. The covering is different. The shape is almost the same and the process of steaming is also very similar.

I called out to my mother to help me with making the rice cups so that we could fill in the jaggery/grated coconut mix and steam them all at one go.

There was some rice dough left so we made small marble size balls and steamed them too. This item is known as ammini kozhakattai. This is slightly salted and spiced up with a seasoning of mustard seeds, curry leaves, grated coconut and either cut green or red chillies.

My mom was mentioning how she learnt all her cooking from just helping around her elderly in-laws' side of relatives in the kitchen. She would be made to grind batter for idli, dosa, vadai, adai and endless masalas for sambar, pachidis, etc. Then deep frying was her department. Usually it would be the ghee/nai appams, appalams, vadais.

She shared with me an insight I thought I should share with you all. Her sister-in-law took charge of the kitchen for big functions where at least 40 relatives would eat the feast.
So sister-in-law's kitchen was always equipped with a special set of vessels for the purpose. This set would be called the onnukkul-onnu which roughly translates into one-in another.
this was the most interesting set consisting of 7 vessels which can be stacked one inside the other. Therefore, 7 different sizes or measures would be kept as a benchmark to prepare items for 40 people.
The biggest one would hold the rice, the next would hold the sambar, the next would hold the mor kozhambu or kadi which is a curd based dish, the next would be for the rasam, the next one would be for the sweet pachadi, the next would be for the curd pachadi and the last and smallest one would be for lightly salted cooked dal which is a must-serve item for such big occasssions.
Of course, there would be many more items like the deep fried vadas, papads, the pickles, payasam or sweet.
This set was a standard measure to feed 40 people.

I always wonder at the ingenuitu of people from the ancient times. We learn a lot if we get a chance to participate or involve ourselves in such activities. And there is so much joy in such gatherings.
The cause may be different but it is like having a party alright!

Cheers!
Mahalakshmi